CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF SUSTAINABILITY IN

RETAILING IN INDIA -POST PANDEMIC

SUBMITTED TO MS VARSHA SOLANKI
ARDRA UDAYAN-DFBM OCT 2020
 SUSTAINABILITY IN RETAILERS - POST PANDEMIC

ABSTRACT
• Sustainability is the ability to exist constantly. In the 21 century, it refers generally to the capacity
for Earth's biosphere and human civilisation to co-exist. It is also defined as the process of people
maintaining change in a homeostasis -balanced enviorment, in which the exploitation of
resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development, and
institutional change are all in harmony and enhance both current and future potential to meet
human needs and aspirations.For many in the field, sustainability is defined through the following
interconnected domains or pillars: environmental, economic and social, which according to ,
based on the principles of system thinking. Sub-domains of sustainable development have been
considered also: cultural, technological and political. According to our future sustainable is
defined as development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs."Sustainable development may be the organising
principle of sustainability, yet others may view the two terms as paradoxical (seeing development
as inherently unsustainable).

• Keywords: Fashion Retailers, Challenges and Opportunities, Post- Pandemic,sustainability.

• INTRODUCTION

Sustainable Fashion is a movement and process of fostering change fashion products and the fashion
system towards great and social justices. Sustainable fashion concerns more than just addressing fashion
textiles or products. It comprises addressing the whole system of fashion. This means dealing with
interdependent social, cultural, ecological, and financial systems.
At the same time retailers can have substantial environmental impacts. This includes direct impacts
that stem from retailing operations and indirect impacts that stem from the production of retailed
goods and other ancillary activities . To our knowledge there are no studies that assess the
environmental impact of the retailing sector as a whole.However there are several studies about the
environmental impacts of individual retailers, retailed products, and supply chains ,as well as studies
that examine the environmental benefits of mitigation strategies in the retail sector Such studies attest
to the substantial environmental impact of the retailing sector, and its key role in enhancing societal
sustainability.

Retailers are the active intermediaries between primary producers, manufacturers and consumers,
they are in a singularly powerful position to drive sustainable consumption and production through (a)
their own actions, (b) partnerships with suppliers and (c) daily interactions with consumers. There is
“huge potential for retailers to use their market position and influence over suppliers and consumers
to drive environmental improvement”. Giant retailers such as Wal-Mart have “tremendous control and
influence over both their suppliers and the individual consumers who ostensibly make demands on
them” and they should be held “equally responsible for the choices they make in the wholesale and
supply-chain marketplace” (ibid). However, the role of retailers in coordinating and fostering green
practices across their value chains has been largely ignored within the academic literature In fact,
state that research on retail sustainability is lacking, especially in emerging country context assert that
the literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR) is largely confined to the manufacturing industry
with a “serious lack of focus on the retail sector”.

Consumer habits vary according to various indicators: age, sex, population, economic level … However, in
recent years we have seen that consumers have changed their mind: they no longer search for products at
bargain prices regardless of quality. Now the rules of the game in the purchase decision also include factors
such as the environment, human rights or the circular economy.
These new consumption habits can be seen more clearly among the youngest people, especially in the
generations known as millennials (22-35 years old) and Generation Z (16-21). According to GlobalWebindex
data, 6 out of 10 millennials would pay more for ecological and sustainable products. So would 58% of
Generation Z (16-21). We are therefore facing a global trend, with a consumer concerned and committed to the
planet, not only from an environmental point of view.

PROBLEM FACED BY RETAIL-SECTOR IN POST- PANDEMIC

The post pandemic has changed the business practices of Retail-sector.Some of the problems they
faced in sustainability in post pandemic.

• LIST OF BANNED ITEMS

There are environmental impacts on using chemical products, Many products contain chemical and toxic
While most are not harmful, some have the potential to harm people or the environment. Many retailers are
working to take these chemicals out of their products and supply chain. This can be a challenge.

• This can be a challenge;

INFLUENCING CONSUMER retailers
CHOICEShave to work with manufacturers to find alternatives that are safer but don
affect cost and performance. Consumers want these safer products and retailers that can deliver have an
advantage.
• LIFE CYCLE OF THE PRODUCTS

• Products are the essence of retail so it’s no surprise that natural resources top the retail
sustainability list. The two main aspects that affect retail are the environmental impact of using
raw materials and the risk of supply chain disruption. All natural resource use has some negative
environmental impact and increasingly, a public that cares about minimaizing it.

• ENERGY CONSUMPTION

•Energy has huge environmental impacts, especially emissions of greenhouse gases and hazardous
air pollutants from fossil fuel use. Energy efficiency and renewable energy can significantly reduce
these impacts and also help retailers save money. An example is how more efficient lighting
reduces emissions and saves money on energy while also reducing maintenance costs and waste.
Transportation is another area where reducing energy use can save money. More efficient or
alternative fuel vehicles, better management systems, planning and other approaches can reduce
cost and environmental impacts.

• WASTE

Waste is a problem on many levels because by definition it’s, well, waste. Wasted money for
products that can’t be sold and for disposal costs, wasted resources when material is thrown
away, and wasted benefits when items are not recycled. Waste has significant environmental
impacts — landfills generate methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas, plus the
environmental impacts from creating a material that is now thrown way. However, waste
management is an exciting area as more facilities move towards the zero waste concept, and
develop innovative approaches to reducing and reusing waste.
• OPERATIONAL DIFFCULTIES

Apart from the business fall, the retailers have to change themselves in the way of doing their business.
Organised retailers have to manage the supply chain disruptions, restriction in the footfall of the
stores due to the social distancing, hygiene improvements as per the local governance, reduction in
promotional campaigns so as to avoid over crowd. Even unorganised retailers are in a position to face
these kind of operational changes such as home delivery, e-payments, hygiene practices laid by local
authorities, etc.
• OPPORTUNITiES IN RETAIL SECTOR -POST PANDEMIC
There are also regulations, some at the state level, that ban or require labeling for specific
substances. California’s Prop65 has labelling requirements for over 800 substances and
some states have bans that apply to specific uses such as in children’s toys.Retailers have
to work with manufactures to find alternatives that are safer but don’t effect cost and
performance.

• LIFE CYCLE OF THE PRODUCT

Product based on sustainable business practices can reduce operation costs and increase competitive advantage.
Environmental sustainability should be considered in the development process, along with the cost and quality
of the product.

• LESS ENERGY CONSUMPTION

Through simplifying packaging we can reduce unwanted waste and the amount of pollutants released into the
atmosphere can be reduced through efficient distribution. And also use low impact delivery vehicles .
• INFLUENCING CONSUMER

One basic means of persuading consumers to engage in eco-friendly actions is to present information

that conveys information regarding desired (and undesired) behaviors and their consequences.
Some have lamented that people’s dearth of understanding and knowledge—due to lack of
exposure to information overload and confusion can contribute to low uptake of sustainable
behaviors.

Providing information through appeals that highlight why the desired behavior or product is sustainable
can be effective in giving consumers the initial knowledge they need regarding actions and consequences .

• REDUCING THE WASTE

The

maximisation of material recycling, the final focus is to use the remaining waste to generate low
carbon energy. Even the residues from energy recovery can be used as aggregates in road building.
Processing waste in this way leaves nothing that could end up in a landfill site.
Single-use packaging such as straws, cups, carrier bags etc. as these offer the biggest opportunity
for change.
• PROBLEMS AND HMW STATEMENTS IN SUSTAINIBILITY

• How might we reduce the extract of raw materials ?

• How might we execute the waste?

• How might we improve the customer relationship?

• How might we reduce energy consumption?

• How might we utilise the retail technology?

• How might we reduce the unwanted meetings?

• How might we reduce the transportation ?

• How might we reduce the pollution?

• RESEARCH ON WASTE MANAGEMENT

Most human activities generates waste.Despite that, the production of wastes remain a major source of
concern as it has always been since pre historic period.In recent times, the rate and quantity of waste
generation have been on the increase.As the volume of wastes increases, so also does the variety of the
waste increases.Unlike the pre historic period where wastes were merely a source of nuisance that needed
to be disposed of. Proper management was not a major issue as the population was small and a vast
amount of land was available to the population at that time.In those days, the environment easily absorbed
the volume of waste produced without any form of degradation.

8
 • CLASSIFICATION OF WASTE

Waste arises in many different forms and its characterisation can be expressed in several forms. Some
common characteristics used in the classification of waste includes the physical states, physical properties,
reusable potentials, biodegradable potentials, source of production and the degree of environmental impact.
that waste can be classified broadly into three main types according to their physical states; these are liquid,
solid and gaseous waste. Although it is clear that several classifications exists in different countries. The most
commonly used classifications are illustrated below.

• Physical state Solid waste

• Liquid waste

• Gaseous waste

• Source

• Household/Domestic waste

• Industrial waste

• Agricultural waste

• Commercial waste

• Demolition and construction waste

• Mining waste

• Environmental impact

• Hazardous waste

• Non-hazardous waste

Due to the limited scope of the research study, liquid wastes, which can be disposed of via sewer networks or
lost to ground water, and hazardous wastes, which which require tighter environmental controls, because of their
potential to cause environmental harm, are excluded. Only solid waste will be discussed in detail, excluding
hazardous solid waste.

 LITERATURE REVIEW

Waste management is a global issue that retailers faces daily . Over consumption of waste has been
causing negative impact on environment. A waste management includes collection, Transportation,
Valorization and disposal.

A business will be able to reduce the cool and also increase the profit. There are different
types of waste produced in retail sector, solid waste ,Hazardous waste , Medical waste ,E- waste
recyclable waste. Indian generates 26000 tonnes waste per day ie 9.4 million tonnes per annum.3.8
millions waste are produced by retail sectors.The waste produced by retailers stores are mostly
recyclable and re- used for packaging, Building and furniture and food waste are composted and
used as fertilisers the crop and another kind of food waste is disposed through anaerobic
digestion.The real conversion is another new technology that can be used to convert waste into
speciality products.

The processing technologies currently adopted in India conclude composting biomethnation

recycling. Refused derived fuel ,incernation ,pyloris waste to wealth and waste to energy.it is now new
mandatory for waste generator to dispose color coded bin , blue for dry waste to ensure proper
recovery, reuse and recycling ,The mixing of segregated and unsegregated waste remains a serious
problem.
 • AIMS

Waste management is all those activities ,actions and worker required to manage
waste from its production to disposal. The coming up up a project such a way that a
system which collects from different position and segregate the waste. As the bin fills
IR sensor sense the level and bin rotates into convey is waste collected from different
location and reached to the segregation part though the main conveyor
belt.Automation waste segregation segregate waste into 3 major classes.
Dry,Wet,Metal by using different types of sensor. An internet of the things incorprated
in this project counted and monitoriesed the waste.

• OBJECTIVES
Waste segregation is included in law because it is much easier to recycle.  Effective
segregation of wastes means that less waste goes to landfill which makes it cheaper
and better for people and the environment.  It is also important to segregate for public
health.  In particular, hazardous wastes can cause long term health problems, so it is
very important that they are disposed of correctly and safely and not mixed in with the
normal waste coming out of your home or retail stores.
• RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The review of the literature provided an overview of reported waste management problems and
factors affecting waste management system.In addition information gathered from primary
data which is already done by some waste management services providers and companies.

Furthermore, information was collected from Big brands and small retailers through
questionnaire and interviews.The state of solid waste management system in the city and the
problem associated with them. The most of the small retailers stores giving waste to the waste
management. The major problem faced by the waste management is waste segregation. Waste
sorting can occur manually at the retail stores and collected through curbside collection
schemes or manual waste sorting for recycling.

The common waste is disposal is done by the waste management team and segregated by
themselves. An automatic waste segregate is designed to overcome this. A waste segregation
system will solve the waste segregation problem and help build a greener society, with no
compromise on health and hygiene.
• PLAN

The process of automatic waste segregation. First all the IR sensor senses whether the
waste bin is filled or not.if the bin is filled, then the IR sensor senses it and gives information
to the micro controller. Then according to the micro controller, after a delay of 5 seconds
servo motor the waste bins and waste fall into the sub conveyor . And the sub conveyor
starts roll .when the main conveyor starts working the while the ssorub conveyor stops
working and the waste falling upon the segregation bin , where metallic dry waste sensors
are placed. Metallic inductive proximity sensor and moisture sensor is fitted to the
segregation bin and the IR sensor is also fixed in the end section of the main conveyor for
the propose of waste arrival detection , it cause the segregation bin rotates according to the
programme.
• CONCLUSION

Waste segregation is urgently required in every retail stores in growing urban cities on sidering that organic
waste amounts for as much as 40–60% and recyclables amount to 17.5% of total household waste,
mixing the two, renders both unusable. In India, the household disposal of waste in a mixed manner
only, the study uses interventions to bring about a change in the present system of garbage disposal
—waste segregation.

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